Improvement in apparatus for packing and baling cotton



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. DRAKE.

APPARATUS FOR PACKING Am BALING 'c ow'ron. N0.179,84:8. PatentedJu1y18,'1876.

WITNESSES. IN /Emma;

N-PETERS, PHOTO-LFIHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. DRAKE. APPARATUS FOR PACKING AND BALING COTTON.

No.179,848. Patented Ju1y18, 1876.

.WITNESSES. INVENTUH.

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N PETERS. FNDTWLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D

UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES A. DRAKE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOROF ONE-SIXTH OF HIS RIGHT TO EDGAR O. SINGER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PACKlNG AND BALING COTTON.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,848, dated July 18,1876; application filed April 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. DRAKE, of thecity of New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, haveinventeda new, useful, and Improved Process and Apparatus for BalingCotton; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andcorrect description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingillustrative drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My improvement relates to a mechanical device by means of which I amenabled to take raw cotton, as it comes directly from the ginning-mill,and thoroughly pack or C0111- press the same into suitable bales orpackages for handling, shipment, and transportation to a market withoutthe necessity of employing canvas bagging, bale-ties, and buckles. Thisresult is accomplished by my improvement, which is simple, cheap, and ofeasy construction, to an extent of pressing more cotton into a givenspace than can possibly be effected by the most powerful compressingdevices or engines hitherto known and in general use at the presenttime, whereby I am enabled to economize both in the cost of baling, aswell as in that of transportation. For the reasons above stated myimprovement becomes of great utility and importance, not only tocotton-planters, but to the public in general.

My invention will, however, be more clearly understood by reference tothe drawings, whereon the same is shown on Sheet 1, at Figure l, by aside elevation, partly in section; at Fig. 2 of the same sheet by a planor top view; and on Sheet 2, at Fig. 3, by an end or front view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the deviceshown on both sheets and in all the figures of the drawings.

A is a substantial frame-work, constructed of wood, iron, or any othersuitable material, which furnishes bearings for the working parts of myinvention. B is a sheet-metal hollow twirling cylinder, having itsfoward part conically contracted and gradually termimating in a smallslotted delivery-tube, while the internal diameter of a portion of thesaid twirling cylinder is diminished by an interior cylinder. The saidexternal and the said internal cylinders are connected by a base-plate,as shownat a, which plate, as likewise the periphery of the externalcylinder, is finely perforated, as shown, for purposes hereinafterdescribed.

The said cylinder B is supported by and rotates in the journal-bearingsresting upon the cross-frames b b. l

The cotton as it is forced or blown from the ginning-mill is delivereddirectly into the said twirling cylinder B, through the rear open endthereof, and rapid rotary motion is communicated to the said cylinderthrough and by means of the pulley O, guidepulleys D D, belt or rope c,and driving-pulley E. The said pulley E is keyed upon the end of theshaft 01, which may be turned by hand -power applied to the crank 61, orthe same may be driven by animal, steam, or other motive power appliedin an yconvenient manner found most expedient. V

The rapid revolutions of the said cylinder B, efi'ected as abovedescribed, necessarily impart rotary motion to that part of the cottonwhich is being held by and delivered from its contracted extremity,(shown at c.) This contracted extremity is slotted, as shown and asbefore-mentioned, to snbserve the important purpose of admitting thecontraction and expansion of its internal diameter to the end ofaccommodating thereby any deviation or inequality in the diameter of thetwisted cotton delivered therefrom. As the cotton is delivered from thesaid nozzle or extremity of the cylinder B it is caught between thegrooved rollers or pulleys f and f, and prevented from further twistingthereby, the former being stationary upon the axle h, while the latter,

by means of the spring 8, is automatically and vertically adjustable toany irregularity of the strand of twisted cotton passing between them.

Motion is imparted to the pulley f, and consequently to the pulley f, bythe friction of the passing cotton, by means of the large pulley G,which is keyed to the same shalt as that upon which is placed the saidpulley f, the said pulley G being connected by the band or rope g withthe pulley H, which is placed upon the outer extremity of the aforesaidshaft d,

to which motion is imparted, as before mentioned. I is a sliding ortraversing frame, havingthe upright standards It and h, in the slottedgrooves i and i of which rotates the axle k,

upon which is spirally wound and pressed the twisted cotton as it comesfrom the twirling cylinder aforesaid. K is a corrugated cylinder, eitherof wood or other suitable material,

which, as it revolves. is brought into contact with, and thereby impartsrotary motion to, the spool or package of twisted cotton accumulatingupon the said axle 76. L is a frame,

pivoted at l and l, and provided at its other extremity with the pulleym, the grooved face of which is held down upon the twisted cotton by theweight n as the cord is being wo'und upon the said accumulating package.

The process of spirally winding the twisted cord of cotton in regularlayers, as above described, especially when it is weighted, as abovestated and shown, will obviously produce the alternate traversingmotions of the said sliding frame I, and consequently that of the baleof cotton resting thereupon.

The rotary motion is imparted to the said corrugated cylinder K by meansof the toothed pinion M upon the shaft N, which is provided with thepulley O, the latter being connected by the band 0 with the pulley Pplaced upon the aforesaid shaft h, which motion is communicated asbefore described.

It and 1% are springs, against which the sliding frame is pressed, andfrom which it receives material assistance in starting from its limit oftraversing motion.

It is clearly evident that, instead of the frame I being allowed totraverse for the purposes described, the same could be made stationary,and the weighted frame L could be made to traverse for theaccomplishment of the same object; and I hereby reserve the privilege ofadopting this mode of construction, should experience in the practice ofthe invention demonstrate that it is expedient to do so.

The perforations in the periphery of the twirling cylinder B, as well asthose in the plate a, aforesaid, snbserve the purpose of furnishing freeexit to any dirt or dust which may, and which usually does, exist toagreater or less extent in cotton as gathered from the plantation, whilelikewise admitting the free exit of the air which enters the saidcylinder with the. cotton, and the air so entering operates to maintainthe cotton, as it were, in a continuous core in the center thereof, andentirely free from contact with its sides- Another peculiar feature ofthe perforated twirling cylinder, which experience with a workingmachine has demonstrated, is that in rotating it has the effect ofstraightening out and placing in parallel position the fiber of thecotton therein placed, renderingit in that condition less liable toinjury when subjected to the twisting and pressing operations necessaryfor packing into bales, as herein described.

I make no claim to the bale produced by the mechanism herein described,the same being the distinctive subject-matter of an independentapplication.

Having described my improvement, its constrnction, and mode ofoperation, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, isthe following:

1. The perforated twisting cylinder B, having its forward sectionconically contracted and terminating in a narrow delivery-tube, thewhole constructed and arranged to operate, substantially as described.

2. The twisting perforated cylinder B, and the grooved-faced rollers ff,the same being combined and arranged to operate substantially asdescribed.

3Q The twisting cylinder B, rollersff, corrugated roller K, and weightedframe h, the whole being combined and arranged to operate substantiallyas described.

JAMES A. DRAKE.

Witnesses:

JAMES C. KIDDELL, H. N. JENKINS.

